Head coach Pete Carroll reacts with 710 ESPN Seattle's Brock Huard & Danny O'Neil one day after the Seahawks 19-17 defeat at the home of the San Francisco 49ers.

Early Monday, head coach Pete Carroll joined the team's flagship radio station 710 ESPN Seattle for his weekly conversation with Brock Huard and Danny O'Neil.

"We hurt ourselves," Carroll said of the Seahawks 19-17 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco. "When I look back at the game, we had three big plays on offense that all came back because of penalties."

Carroll was referring to left tackle Russell Okung's holding penalty that brought back a first quarter gain by running back Marshawn Lynch, wide receiver Golden Tate's pass interference call that erased a 16-yard gain and first down in the first quarter, and fullback Michael Robinson's face mask flag that wiped out a 20-yard third quarter run by Lynch. The Seahawks were flagged nine times for 85 yards on the day, which Carroll said played a factor in the team's offensive rhythm.

"We had nine drives in the game and three of them were affected by major penalties when we had really positive plus plays, so they hurt us on both ends," Carroll said. "And they were good enough not to allow us to overcome the penalty.

"That's a really good football team. They played really tough, they did all the good stuff, and we had them beat. We had them. We just had to stop them that last time."

A win yesterday would have sealed the NFC West for Seattle and ensured them no-less than the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. That fact is not lost on Carroll, but sitting at 11-2 with three games to play the Seahawks still own a two-game lead in the division and the NFC's No. 1 seed.

"It was a difficult loss to take because there was so much to gain on that day," Carroll summed.

Below are a couple more nuggets from Carroll's Monday conversation with "Brock and Danny"

Carroll said linebacker K.J. Wright will undergo surgery to place a screw in the foot he broke during yesterday's contest at Candlestick Park. Carroll put Wright's recovery time at four to six weeks. Expect to see more of linebackers Malcolm Smith, O'Brien Schofield, and Mike Morgan in Wright's absence.

Carroll did not have a definitive update on center Max Unger, who left Sunday's game with a chest injury. "We know what it is," Carroll said. "We just have to see how he responds during the week. It's something that one of our guys has had before and played with, and we'll find out how it is particularly for him."

"I don't have any updates for you, we'll see how he is on Wednesday," - Carroll, on the status of wide receiver Percy Harvin (hip).

"It continues to remind us of all that we represent and how special and how fortunate we are that we have the people that care so much. ... It's way bigger than us." Carroll, on the reception the team received from the 12th Man after landing at Sea-Tac airport and when returning home to Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

Our fans are extraordinary... Thank you #12s for the warm and loud welcome at the airport and our facility tonight! #GoHawks

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